Many of us probably remember this popular bumper sticker from the 1990s, urging people to do their part for the environment in their community. These days, for me, the slogan speaks to how brands should practice the art of media relations in the communities in which they do business.

The “Think Globally” piece is easy. Think about all of the things going on in the world – the economic crisis, the explosion of social media, drivers keeping their vehicles longer, swine flu (the list goes on and on) – and how you can leverage these trends and topics to insert your brand into the conversation. The media are fragmented – it’s more challenging than ever to get press for your company, product or service. So, find a way to hitch your wagon to something they are already interested in. Before you pitch, think about how you can link your story to a broader trend.

What brands still need to master is the “Act Locally” piece. Despite the proliferation of online media, including the presence of even local newspapers on the Internet (in a way, making all news global), it’s more important than ever to localize your story. A generic pitch simply won’t fly 99 percent of the time, even if the story is compelling and timely. Many local media outlets are understaffed, and they just don’t have the time to localize your story for their readers, viewers and listeners. Don’t bother pitching the Des Moines Register (Iowa), the local ABC affiliate in Springfield, Massachusetts or the news talk radio station in Waco, Texas if you don’t make the story relevant to their communities.

Here are a few ways you can do it:

• Localize your materials – Make sure your pitch, press release, media alert and any other tools you use make the story relevant to the community you are pitching. For instance, reference a local statistic that supports the story you’re pitching.
• Provide a local twist – Offer the media an opportunity to speak with a company representative in their market – a store manager, a district manager or a franchisee.
• Let them hear from your customers – Media want to put a human face on a story. Provide the name of a local customer they can interview to bring the story to life.
• Use a local “pitcher” – When possible, have a local company representative send out the pitch, press release, etc. Local media are often more receptive to contact from local people rather than someone at national HQ. That doesn’t mean you can’t help manage the communication – for national initiatives, create press material templates that local representatives can fill in and distribute to local media.

Sure, localizing your story does take more time. But, it’s all about getting the best results. A well-researched, customized pitch to 10 outlets will yield more results – and better stories – than a generic pitch that’s blasted out to hundreds of outlets.

--Marc Berliner, Director